Bed lounge mechanism



May 31, 1966 M. Fox

BED LOUNGE MECHANISM Filed Jan. 4, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet l n, #DE

May 3l, 1966 M. Fox

BED LOUNGE MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 4, 1965 May 31, 1966 M.Fox 3,253,285

BED LOUNGE MECHANISM Filed Jan. 4, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FILE May 31,1966 M. Fox

BED LOUNGE MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 4, 1965 www;

May 3l, 1966 M. FOX

BED LOUNGE MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 4, 1965 United StatesPatent() 3,253,285 BED LUUNGE MECHANISM Martin Fox, Chicago, Ill.,assignor to The Seng Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed lian. 4,1965, Ser. No. 423,230 18 Claims. (Cl. 5-67) provide an improvedconvertible furniture mechanism in which a plurality of bed sections areconvertible between a coplanar bed position and a lounge position inwhich adjacent sections are at obtuse angles with respect to oneanother.

Another object of the invention is to provide suc-h a mechanism in whicha simple, manual friction lock is provided for fixing the pivotallyconnected bed sections in any position between bed position and loungeposition.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a convertiblefurniture mechanism in which the bed sections are positively locked intheir coplanar bed position, and in which the positive lock isautomatically released by movement of a friction brake operating lever.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a oonvertible bedlounge in which the pivotally connected bed sections are so mounted in abase frame that they are` normally moved from coplanar bed position tolounge position by the normal distribution of weight of a personreclining upon the bed lounge with his head near the head bar of thebed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a convertible bedlounge having a friction vlock mechanism which is very compact andentirely concealed behind the,

side rail of the base frame.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide al convertible loungehaving a friction lounge mechanism which is readily adjusted tocompensate for wear in the frictional parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a convertible bed loungemechanism in which the entire pivoted bed structure and brake structureare carried upon two mounting plates which need only to be fastened tothe inner surfaces of the side rails of a base frame.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a structure embodying theinvention with the bed sections in their coplanar bed positions, takensubstantially along t-he line 1--1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure in the bed position;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along theline 2-2 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the apparatus with the bed sections in loungeposition;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale taken substantiallyas illustrated along the line 5 5 of FIG. 2, and illustrates thefriction lock mechanism in the position which it occupies when the bedsections are in their coplanar bed positions;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale taken substantiallyas illustrated along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4, and shows the frictionlocking mechanism with its parts in the positions they occupy when thebed sections are in lounge positions;

3,253,285 Patented May 31, 1966 ICC FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view onan enlarged scale illustrating the friction lock mechanism in vitsreleased position;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale taken substantiallyas illustrated along the line 8 8 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary section taken substantially as illustrated alongthe line 9 9 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale takensubstantially as illustrated along the line 10-10 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and referring first toFIGS. 1 to 4, the present bed lounge mechanism includes a simplerectangular base frame, indicated generally at 20, which has side rails21 and 22, a head rail 23, a foot rail 24, and supporting legs 25.Cross-members 26 connect the side rails above the legs.

Mounted in the base frame is a convertible lounge mechanism, indicatedgenerally at 27, which is the subject of the present invention. The bedlounge mechanism 27 includes a pair of mounting plates 28 and 29 whichare secured, respectively to the inner faces of the base frame siderails 21 and 22, an articulated bed structure, indicated generally at30, a frictional lock mechanism indicated generally at 31, which is bestseen in FIGS. 5 to 9, and an auxiliary plunger lock, indicated generallyat 32 (seeFIG. l0), together with a plunger release mechanism, indicatedgenerally at 32a which is best seen in FIGS. 6 and 9.

Referring further-to FIGS. 1 to 4, the articulated bed mechanism 30inclu-des a back section indicated generally at 33, anintermediate-section indicated generally at 34, a seat section indicatedgenerally at 35, and a leg section indicated generally at 36. The headsection includes a transverse head bar 37 which is parallel to the headrail 23, side bars 38 and 39 lwhich are connected to opposite endsof'thehead bar 37 and are parallel tothe mounting plates 28l and 29, and adrop center cross-bar 40. The intermediate section 34 includes only aside bar 41 which is connected by a pivot 42 to the end portion of theback section side bar 38 that is remote from the head bar 37, andy asecond intermediate side bar 43 which is identical to the bar 41 andconnected to the back section side bar 3.9 by a Vpivot 44. The seatsection includes side bars 45 and .46 which are cross connected by dropcenter crossbars 47 and 48, and pivots 49 and 50 connect the seatsection side bars 45 and 46, respectively, with the intermediate sectionside bars 41 and 43. The leg section 36 consists of Vsidebars 51 and 52which are pivotally connected at 53 and 54 to the seat section sidevbars 45 and 46, respectively, and which are connected by a transversefoot bar 55 that is parallel to the base frame foot rail 24. Thearticulated bed structure 30 is completed by a conventional wire meshmattress supporting spring, indicated generally at 56 in FIGS-2 and 4;and a foam rubber mattress or pad P, shown in broken lines in FIGS. land 3, is carried loosely upon the wire mesh spring fabric 56.l

. n the back section `side bars 38 and 39 are pivot brackets Pivots i65and '66 mount the respective links 6=1 and 62 on the moun-t-ing plates28 and 29, respectively. Parallel to the links 61 and 62 for the seatsection are links 67 'and 68 which are pivotally connected,respectively, to the leg section side bars 51 and 52 by pivots 69 and70, and to the mounting plates 28 and 29 lby pivots 7-1 and 72. The-back section pivots l'59 and 60 are so positioned with respect to thehead bar 37 and the seat section 35 that, when a person is recliningupon the articulated bed structure in a normal position with his headnear the head bar l37, the distribution of the persons body weight, andpraticular'ly the concentration of. body weight upon the Alower torso,automatically causes the articulated bed sections to assume the loungeposition of FIGS. 3 and 4. In that position the back section 33 isinclined, the intermediate section 34 remains substantially horizontaland is atan obtuse angle with respect to the back section 33, while theseat section 35 and leg section 36 are caused to swing upwardly andtoward the head rail 23 upon their respective links `61-62 and 67-68 sothat the seat section 35 forms an obtuse angle with respect to theintermediate section 34, and the seat section and the le-g section 36form an obtuse angle with respect to each other. In the lounge positionof FIG. 3 it is seen that the seat supporting links 61 and 62 bearagainst stop studs 73 and 74, respectively, which limit the swingingmovement of the parallel links as the articulated sections move towardlounge position.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. to 9, the articulated 'bed sectionsmay be retained in their coplanar bed position iby means of the frictionlock mechanism 3:1 which also may be used to lock the bed sections inany position between the coplanar bed position and the lounge positionillustrated in FIG. 3. IReferring first to FIGS.

5 and 7, the lock mechanism has a large headed stud 75 which extendsthrough a hole in the mounting plate 28 and has its head 76 extendinginto a recess in the side rail 21. An adjusting disc 77 is formedintegrally with the stud 75 and is positioned in rface abuttingrelationship with the mounting plate 28. A plurality of screw holes 78are arranged in a circle around the adjusting disc 77 so that any two ofthe holes may be aligned with a pair of holes in the mounting plate toreceive wood screws 79 which 'are screwed into the side rail 21 toanchor the disc 77 and thus the stud 75. As best seen in FIG. 9, thestud 75 is provided with a thread 80.

A locking lever 81 has a boss 82 provided with a screw thread 83 bymeans of which the lever is sc-rewed onto the thread 80 of the stud 75so that the interengaging threads 80 and 83 provide cam means for movingthe lever 81 ltoward or away from the mounting plate 28. A sleeve 8'4welded adjacent the outer end of the lever 81 slidably receives anoperating arm 8S for the lever so that the outer extremity of the arm8'5 need not project above the base frame side rail 21, but may be slidoutwardly through the sleeve 84 if a person reclining upon the beddesires to rotate the locking lever 81.

As best seen in FIG. 9,`on the lback section side rail 38 close to thepivot `59 is a depending mounting bracket 86 at the lower end of whichis a pivot 87 for an arm 88 `that has a slot 89 impaled bythe stud 75.The slotted arm 88 is between the stud adjusting plate 77 and the lever81, and the outer face of the slotted arm is in face abuttingrelationship with a lange washer 90 which surrounds the stud 75 beneaththe lever 81 so as to provide a friction shoe. Thus, when the lever 81is moved clockwise as viewed in FIG. 6, it clamps the slotted arm 88firmly between the adjusting disc 77 `and the friction shoe 90, andfrictionally locks the back section 33 against pivotal movement on thepivots 59 and 60. Conversely, when the lever 81 is rotatedcounterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 6, the slotted aum 88 is released andthe articulated bed sections are free to move in either direction.

lIn order that the bed sections may be posi-tively .secured in bedposition the end of the slot 89 which is l to the slotted arm 88 and to`the pivot bracket 57 so as to norm-ally urge the slotted larm in adirection to cause the recess 89a to engage the stud 75 when thestructure is in bed position. By reason of lthe positive engagement ofthe recess 89a with the rstud 75, combined with the frictional grippingof the arm 88, several people may sit upon the -bed structure when it isin bed position without ytending to cause any slippage of the lock partswhich would permit the bed sections to move slightly toward loungeposition. The shape of the recess 89a is such that when the frictionlock lever y81 is moved counterclockwise to release the clampingpressure upon the slotted arm 88, the stud 74 may move along the upperface of the recess, which acts as a cam face, so as to rock the armagainst the bias of the spring 91 and thus release the recess 79a fromthe pin 75.

Although the interengagement of the recess 79a and the pin 75 of the'friction locking mechanism is suliicient yto positively eliminateslipping of the friction lock under the pressure of several personsseated upon the bed, the fact that the lock -is on one side only of thebed trame permits the opposite head corner at the back side bar 39 toraise up, due to twisting of the back section. To prevent thisundesirable action, the auxiliary plunger lock 32 is provided. As #bestseen in FIG. l0, the head bar 37 of the back section 33 is tubular andis provided with aligned holes 92 and 93 which are half way between ltheside bars 38 and 39. A plunger, indicated generally at 94, has a shaft95 which extends through the hole 93, and an enlarged shoulder portion96 of the plunger is received in fthe hole 92. A compression spring 97surrounds the shaft 95 within the tubular head bar 37 and bears upon theenlarged shoulder portion 96 so as to urge .the plunger 94 toward thehead rail 23 of the ibase frame. Secured to the inner surface of saidhea'd rail 23 is yalatch plate 98 that has a Igenerally horizontal latchsurface 99 and a cam face `100 Aso that, as the bed structure is movedtoward ibed position, ya plunger head '101 may ride over the cam surface100 to compress the spring 97 and permit the plunger head 101 to snapback beneath the latch surface 99.

Automatic release of the plunger lock 32 upon releasing movement of thelever 81 is effected by the plunger lock release mechanism 32a thatincludes a lever 102 that is pivoted at 103 upon the bracket 86, and afixed pin 104 on the upper end of the lever 102 which extends throughregistering slots 105 and 106 in the bracket 86 and the bed rail 38,respectively, and is engaged by one side of the lock lever 81 so thatwhen the lock lever is moved counterclockwise it acts through the pin104 to pivot the lever 102 on its pivot 103. A flange 107 at the end ofthe lever 102 opposite to the pin 104 receives a wire 108 which is alsoconnected to the plunger shaft 95 so that counterclockwise rotation ofthe lever 102 retracts the plunger 94 to release it from the latchmember 98.

The purpose of the adjusting plate 77, heretofore described, is topermit the position of the stud 75 to be rotated so as to change thelocation of the thread 80 `and thus serve to compensate for wear in thescrew ,threads or in the friction shoe 90.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness ofunderstanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a convertible lounge bed, in combination: a rectangular base framehaving side rails. a head rail and a foot rail; a plurality of bedsections including a back section having a transverse head bar parallelto the head rail and two side bars parallel to the side rails, a seatsection having side bars, and a leg section having side bars connectedby a foot bar; means connecting the side bars of said sections end toend for pivotal movement of the portions between a bed poistion in whichthe sections are coplanar and a lounge position -in which adjacentsections are disposed at obtuse angles with respect to one another;pivot means mounting the back section on the side rails of the baseframe; leg section link means mounting the leg section on said siderails, said pivot means being so located with respect to the connectionbetween the back section and the seat section that the normaldisposition of body weight. of a person reclining on said sections withhis head near the head bar uses the sections to assume the loungeposition; and friction locking means between the back section and oneside rail of the base frame, said locking means including a slotted armpivoted on a back section side bar, a stud supported on said one siderail and -impaling the slot in the arm, clamping lever means rotatableon said stud between the arm and the back section, said lever meansincluding .a friction shoe facing the arm, and interengaging cam meanson the stud and the lever so that rotation of the lever in one directionforces the friction shoe against the arm to clamp the arm against theone side rail and rotation of the lever in the opposite directionreleases the arm, said stud in bed position of the bed sections abuttinga first end of the slot and in lounge position abutting a second end ofthe slot.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the cam means comprises a threadon the stud and a cooperating thread on the lever. y

3. The combination of claim 1 in which there is a lateral recess in therst end of the slot, and in which tension spring means connects the armto the side rail to bias the arm in a direction causing the recess toengage the stud in bed position.

4. The combination of claim 1 in which the head bar has a hole generallymidway between the side bars, a headed pin is slidably mounted in saidhole, a spring biases said pin toward the head rail, a latch plate ismounted on the head rail for engagement by said pin in the bed positionof the bed sections, and release means are provided for retracting saidpin, said release means including an actuating lever pivoted on the backsection side bar, a stud on said actuating lever engageable by theclamping lever means so that rotation of the lever to release the 4armmoves a part of the actuating lever away from the head bar, and a cableconnecting the pin to said part of the actuating lever.

S. The combination of claim 1 in which the bed sections include a shortintermediate section which has side bars pivotably connected to the backsection side bars and to the seat section side bars, and in which thereare seat section link means mounting the seat section on the side rails,said seat section link means being parallel to the leg section linkmeans.

6. The combination of claim 5 which includes stop studs supported on theside rails of the base, said stop studs being engaged by the seatsection links in the lounge position of the bed sections.

7. In a convertible lounge bed, in combination: a rectangular base framehav-ing side rails, a head rail and a foot rail; four bed sectionsincluding a back section having `a head bar parallel to the head railand two side bars connected to the head rail and parallel to the siderails, an intermediate section having side bars pivotably connected tothe back section side bars adjacent .the ends of the latter remote fromthe head bar, .a seat section having side bars pivotably connected tothe intermediate section side bars adjacent the ends of .the latterremote from the backsection, and a leg section having side barspivotably connected to the seat section side bars adjacent the endsofthe latter remote from the intermediate section, said leg sectionhaving a foot bar connecting its side bars, said pivotal connectionspermitting movement of said sections between a bed position in which thesections are coplanar and a lounge position in which adjacent sectionsare disposed at obtuse angles with respect to one another; pivot meansmounting the back section on the side rails of the base frame; legsection link means mounting the leg section on said side rails; seatsection link means parallel to the leg section link means and mountingthe seat section on said side rails, said pivot means being so locatedwith respect to the connection between the back section and theintermediate section that the normal disposition of body weight of aperson reclining on said sections with his head near the head bar causesthe sections to assume the lounge position; and friction locking meansbetween the back section and one side rail of the base frame, saidlocking means including a slotted arm pivoted on a back section sidebar, a stud supported on said one side rail and impaling the slot in thearm, clamping lever means rotatable on said stud between the arm and theback section, said lever means including a friction shoe facing the arm,and interengaging cam means on the stud and the lever so that rotationof the lever in one direction forces the friction shoe against the armto clamp the arm against the one side rail yand rotation of the lever inthe opposite direction releases the arm, said stud in bed position ofthe bed sections abutting a first end of the slot and in lounge positionabutting a second end of the slot.

8. The combination of claim 7 in which the ends of the intermediatesection side bars overlie the ends of the back and seat section sidebars.

9. The combination of claim 7 which includes studs in the side rails ofthe base, said studs being engaged by the seat section links in thelounge position of the bed sections.

10. The combination of claim 7 in which the cam means comprises a threadon the stud and a `cooperating thread on the lever.

11. The combination of claim 7 in which there is a lateral recess'in theiirst end of the slot, in which tension and spring means connects thearm to the side rail to bias the arm in a direction causing the recessto engage the stud in bed position.

V12. The combination of claim 7 in which the head bar has a holegenerally midway between the side bars, a headed pin is slidably mountedin said hole, a spring biases said pin toward the head rail, a latchplate is mounted on the head railfor engagement by said pin in the bedposition of the bed sections, and release means are provided forretracting said pin, said release means including an. actuating leverpivoted on the back section side bar, a stud on said actuating leverengageable by the clamping lever means so that rotation of the lever torelease the arm moves a part of the actuating lever away from the headbar, and a cable connecting the pin to said part of the actuating lever.

13. A convertible bed lounge mechanism for mounting in a rectangularbase frame that has side rails, said mechanism comprising, incombination: a pair of mounting plates adapted to be secured to the siderails of a base frame; a'plurality of bed sections including a backsection having a pair of side bars parallel to the mounting plates and ahead bar connecting said side bars, a seat section having side barsparallel to said plates, and a leg section having side bars parallel tothe plates and a foot bar connecting said leg section side bars; meansconnecting the side bars of said sections end to end for pivotalmovement of the sections between a bed position in which the sectionsare coplanar and a lounge position in which adjacent sections aredisposed at obtuse angles with respect to one another; pivot meansmounting the back section on said mounting plates; leg section linkmeans mounting the leg section on said mounting plates, said pivot meansbeing so located with respect to the connection between the back sectionand the seat section that the normal disposition of body weight of aperson reclining on said sections with his head near the head bar causesthe sections to assume the lounge position; and

friction locking means between the back section and one of the mountingplates, said locking means including a slotted arm pivoted on a backsection side bar, a stud mounted in said one of the mounting plates andimpaling the slot in the arm, clamping lever means rotatable on saidstud between the arm and the back section, said lever means including afriction shoe facing the arm, and interengaging cam means on the studand the lever so that rotation of the lever in one direction forces thefriction shoe against the arm to clamp the arm against the one mountingplate and rotation of the lever in the opposite direction releases thearm, said stud in bed position of the bed sections abutting a first endof the slot and in the lounge position abutting a second end of theslot.

14. The combination of claim 13 in which the cam means comprises athread on the stud and a cooperating thread on the lever.

1S. The combination of claim 13 in which there is a lateral recess inthe first end of the slot, and in which tension spring means connectsthe arm to said one mounting plate to bias the arm in a directioncausing said recess to engage the stud in bed position.

16. The combination of claim 13 is which the bed sections include ashort intermediate section which has side bars pivotally connected tothe back section side bars and to the seat section side bars, and inwhich there are seat section link means mounting the seat section on themounting plates, said seat section link means being parallel to the legsection link means.

17. The combination of claim 16 which includes stop studs integral withthe mounting plates, said stop studs being engaged by the seat sectionlinks in the lounge position of the bed sections. i

18. The combination-of claim 13 in which the stud is rotatable in theone mounting plate, and an integral adjusting plate surrounds the studbetween the mounting plate and the slotted arm, said adjusting platehaving a plurality of holes arranged in a circle around the stud toreceive fastening means which impale holes in said one mounting plate,whereby the stud may be rotated to compensate for wear in the cam meansand the friction shoe and may be fixed with respect to the one mountingplate by means of said fastening means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 776,528 12/1904Michand 5-78 1,296,451 3/1919 Arrigoni 5-78 1,862,820 6/1932 Duvall 5-782,124,602 7/ 1938 Bardaji 5-78 2,658,209 11/1953 Travis 5-78 3,105,24710/1963 Katz 5-67 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

C. A. NUNBERG, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN CONVERTIBLE LOUNGE BED, IN COMBINATION: A RECTANGULAR BASE FRAMEHAVING SIDE RAILS. A HEAD RAIL AND A FOOT RAIL; A PLURALITY OF BEDSECTIONS INCLUDING A BACK SECTION HAVING A TRANSVERSE HEAD BAR PARALLELTO THE HEAD RAIL AND TWO SIDE BARS PARALLEL TO THE SIDE RAILS, A SEATSECTION HAVING SIDE BARS, AND A LEG SECTION HAVING SIDE BARS CONNECTEDBY A FOOT BAR; MEANS CONNECTING THE SIDE BARS OF SAID SECTIONS END TOEND FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE PORTIONS BETWEEN A BED POSITION IN WHICHTHE SECTIONS ARE COPLANAR AND A LOUNGE POSITION IN WHICH ADJACENTSECTIONS ARE DISPOSED AT OBTUSE ANGLEW WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER;PIVOT MEANS MOUNTING THE BACK SECTION ON THE SIDE RAILS OF THE BASEFRAME; LEG SECTION LINK MEANS MOUNTING THE LEG SECTION ON SAID SIDERAILS, SAID PIVOT MEANS BEING SO LOCATED WITH RESPECT TO THE CONNECTIONBETWEEN THE BACK SECTION AND THE SEAT SECTION THAT THE NORMALDISPOSITION OF BODY WEIGHT OF A PERSON RECLINING ON SAID SECTIONS WITHHIS HEAD NEAR THE HEAD BAR USES THE SECTIONS TO ASSUME THE LOUNGEPOSITION; AND FRICTION LOCKING MEANS BETWEEN THE BACK SECTION AND ONESIDE RAIL OF THE BASE FRAME, SAID LOCKING MEANS INCLUDNG A SLOTTED ARMPIVOTED ON A BACK SECTION SIDE BAR, A STUD SUPPORTED ON SAID ONE SIDERAIL AND IMPALING THE SLOT IN THE ARM, CLAMPING LEVER MEANS ROTATABLE ONSAID STUD BETWEEN THE ARM AND THE BACK SECTION, SAID LEVER MEANSINCLUDING A FRICTION SHOE FACING THE ARM, AN INTERENGAGING CAM MEANS ONTHE STUD AND THE LEVER SO THAT THE ROTATION OF THE LEVER IN ONEDIRECTION FORES THE FRICTION SHOE AGAINST THE ARM TO CLAMP THE ARMAGAINST THE ONE SIDE RAIL AND ROTATION OF THE LEVER IN THE OPPOSITEDIRECTION RELEASES THE ARM, SAID STUD IN BED POSITION OF THE BEDSECTIONS ABUTTING THE FIRST END OF THE SLOT AND IN LOUNGE POSITIONABUTTING A SECOND END OF THE SLOT.